Chicken bald back

[Valkyrie]

Sorry if they are too big photos!

 

Well for starters you need to cut 8" squares. Fold in half and sew down both sides (quarter inch seam allowance as usual) - I have done it by hand and for this one I started by hand but used the machine for speed.

 

 

Then match up the seams and sew the remaining sides leaving an inch gap (some say in the centre, but I like to keep the gap to one side as it is hidden better). Do not cut the dangly threads yet.

 

 

Snip off the bottom corners (not the threads) leaving about a millimeter from the stitching.

 

 

 

Then take those threads and pull the out on opposite sides - helps to flatten the shape.

 

 

Iron and flatten the seams apart.

 

End of part one!

Edited November 30, 2014 by Guest

[Valkyrie]

Part 2

Push corners through that hole so that you have the right side showing.

 

 

Use something pointy to poke those nice sharp corners out (the propelling pencil doesn't have a lead in there).

 

 

Iron it flat.

 

 

Still keeping seams up, fold each point into the centre and iron edges.

 

 

I pin everything! It helps to have very sharp corners. Take 2 opposite corners and stitch them to the centre - you only need 2 stitches, and then the other opposite corners, you will have a little cross in the centre.

 

 

 

This is the back and if you iron it you will have a nice little square as in the photo above by the side of the unsewn one.

 

 

 

It's rather like origami!

Do 4 of these little squares.

[Valkyrie]

Part 3 Joining the little squares together.

 

Keep the folded side inside and pin together. Lots more pins!

 

 

Using oversewing stitches travel along the way you prefer. I push the needle in diagonally so that the stitches look straight on the seam - it doesn't show when you open it up and in any case the "stained glass" hides the stitches.

 

 

Open up and you have this. Now this is all you need if you start with a pin cushion tester. Sometimes it will wander but because the edges are on the bias it is easy to tweak it to finish evenly.

 

 

Ideally you want it to be as sharp as possible.

 

 

Do another double and then you can join them together matching the centre. I like to pin the corners inside just to make sure before pinning together to sew.

 

 

 

 

Hmmm could do better!

 

 

Yuk! Not ideal but I can still tweak!

 

 

So from all of the above to this

 

[Valkyrie]

Apologies for the big foot!

[Plum]

Brilliant, I'm reading and rereading. Will look great with Kaffe Fassett bright fabrics as the contrast I've got a load of bits. How much white would you recommend getting for a lap size quilt?

 

Thank you, thank you again.

[Plum]

What are your pins they look fearsome?

[Valkyrie]

Just extra long and thin ones I think they are Clover but I can't remember. And yes I get prickled a lot! I also have Clover flower head pins - also extra long. I do get through them as they eventually bend - which isn't too bad when you are pinning the centre as they bounce back up and away from poor handie and fingies underneath!

 

You need an awful lot of fabric for the background. I've already used about 4 yards for the bit I've done - which is probably lap-top sized at the moment - well almost! I went and bought 5 yards more of each background shade - if I have any left over they can be used in s"Ooops, word censored!"py quilts.

[Valkyrie]

Done all my cleaning and ironing so will get cracking with the centre part pics tomorrow.

[Cat tails]

Wow! That looks great!

It almost makes me want to make a quilt too! Luckily I don't have sewing machine!

[Plum]

but Cat tails it's nearly Christmas and you can get good ones at John Lewis cheaply

[Cat tails]

But alas! I don't live in the UK! Quilting is something for the not so near future I think. Maybe first marry a rich man, so I can work less...

[Valkyrie]

You can do this by hand - little bits in your lunch hour!

[Plum]

It's a good hand project for me to take to my quilt group, I bet they'll want a go.

[Valkyrie]

You can do it by machine - just sew the folds before doing the little cross stitches back to back so that you have flappy triangles. But there are good tutorials on Youtube for that.